1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydrodynamic torque converter having a hydrodynamic circuit including a pump wheel and a turbine wheel, wherein a turbine shell of the turbine wheel extends between two axial abutments for axially positioning the turbine wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art hydrodynamic torque converter having a hydrodynamic circuit is disclosed in DE 44 23 640 A1 (see FIG. 1) which has a pump impeller, a turbine wheel and a stator. The turbine wheel has a turbine shell, which is formed with blading. A radially inner region of the turbine shell is connected in a rotationally locked manner to a radial flange of a turbine hub via riveting. The radial flange of the turbine hub interacts with axial abutments, which are provided on both sides and position the turbine wheel axially between a housing hub of the converter housing and the stator. Of course, this radial flange of the turbine hub must have sufficient flexural rigidity to fulfill this task.
The stator is guided via a freewheel having a supporting ring axially between it and one of the axial abutments for the turbine hub described above. The supporting ring is provided with grooving for the throughflow of converter fluid, which originates from a supply reservoir and passes via a fluidic connection to the supporting ring. The converter fluid is delivered via the grooving of the supporting ring into the converter circuit.
The above-described prior art torque converter is comparatively complicated to produce and is comparatively expensive because, on the one hand, it has a turbine hub which is complicated with regard to its shape with the radial flange and also has to be connected to the turbine shell via labor-intensive riveting and, on the other hand, the supporting ring between the freewheel and the adjacent axial abutment requires grooving for the throughflow of converter fluid. This grooving also results in a reduced contact surface of the supporting ring on the adjacent component causing an increased surface pressure on the supporting ring.